Ethiopia Continues Drive Into Eritrea
Troops and equipment poured through this once-bustling market town Wednesday as Ethiopian soldiers pushed deep into Eritrea on the sixth day of a massive offensive to end a two-year border conflict.
The immediate objective was Barentu, 25 miles north of the border and a command center of Eritrea’s army. An Ethiopian government spokesman said the fall of Barentu was imminent. He said the goal was not to hold the town but to secure the territory around the contested border and withdraw.
Late Wednesday, the U.N. Security Council unanimously approved an arms embargo against the two countries after the latest flare-up.
The embargo will be terminated immediately if Secretary-General Kofi Annan reports that “a peaceful definitive settlement of the conflict” has been concluded. Otherwise, the council will review compliance with the embargo after one year and decide whether it should be extended.
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